Despite the rising trend of automatic cars in India, the manual transmission model cars still make up a bulk of the sales in the country. Manual transmission model cars require a precise use of clutch while driving. However, not all the car users are expert drivers and there are still come common mistakes that people like us make in daily driving that leads to unnecessary strain on the clutch and transmission. This leads to shorter life of the clutch and transmission and can be a major cause of expense as the clutch mechanism will require changing frequently. Therefore today we have complied a list of a few unintentional mistakes that all of us make while using the clutch in our cars so that the next time you hit the road, these can be avoided to ensure longer life of your clutch and transmission.
Revving the Engine While Pressing Clutch for Quick Starts
This is a common mistake made by people as they think engaging the clutch while taking a start will lead to better revs and therefore a quick launch from 0 kmph. However, this could not be more wrong as the revving while engaging clutch does not ensure a quick start. Sophisticated technology is required to achieve launch control that is featured on expensive cars. So while this trick may ensure a great noise from your engine, this does not help you achieve high launch speeds. Rather, this only slows you down. Given, wheel spin cannot be achieved without slipping the clutch, but that affects your clutch’s life and that is a thing that will cost you a lot in the long run.
Clutch Riding
This is another very common mistake that a lot of drivers make. The usage of clutch while the car is in motion is a strict no-no. This cause unwanted wear to the clutch mechanism of your car and therefore only ends up piling expenses for you. So make sure the next time you are driving, your foot does not engages the clutch slightly and the clutch is fully disengaged while the car is in motion.
Footrest
Many budget cars and even some expensive ones as well do not come with a dead pedal installed in them. This leads to many drivers resting their foot on the clutch pedal while driving. Even a small amount of weight shift on the clutch pedal of cars causes the clutch to engage which leads to unintentional riding of the clutch. This in turn damages the clutch of the car. Therefore, try resting your foot on the floorboard in case the car does not comes equipped with a dead pedal.
Clutch Release
A common occurrence among drivers is not understanding the timing of releasing the clutch on proper time. The jerk that one feels as the car takes off from its stationary position is caused because the clutch of the car was released too soon. The jerk puts extra pressure on the clutch and transmission thereby causing great damage to both of the units. Therefore, it is better to spend some time with your car and nail down the timing of releasing the clutch of the car, it will not only elongate the life of your clutch but will also ensure that you have a smoother driving experience.
Using Clutch at Traffic Stops
A lot of people look at the timer on the traffic light and instead of putting the car at neutral on the traffic stop they engage the clutch so as to keep the car in gear and ready to go. This is the absolute worst treatment that you can deliver to your car. The clutch is a very smooth part of the car and the continuous usage of the same for elongated periods can lead to damage of the clutch. So the next time you are at a traffic stop, put the car in neutral instead of engaging the clutch.
Clutch Balancing
Another grave mistake that the drivers commit is engaging the clutch so as to keep the car balanced on a slope. This should be avoided at all costs because even this uselessly stresses the clutch of the car. This is a major reason for clutch slip and overheating. The proper way to keep your car balanced on inclines is using the brakes. So the next time you are on a slope and want to balance your car, do the clutch a favor and use the brakes instead.